To make up for the fact that Bloomer Girl was never made into a film we fortunately have this preserved kinescope of a live TV production of the Harold
Arlen-E.Y. Harburg show that ran on Broadway for 644 performances in the 1944-46 season. Taking the place of Broadway leads Celeste Holm and David
Brooks are Barbara Cook and Keith Andes.
Cook's vocal talents and range are extraordinary, but I never knew Keith Andes could sing. And since this was broadcast live in 1956 on Producer's Showcase we know it's him.
The story is about a rebellion among women to get out of those constraining hoop skirts which were a puritanical invention of the time. The substitution was bloomers named for Dolly Bloomer who played by Carmen Matthews and is the aunt of Barbara Cook playing Evalina Applegate her devoted disciple.
But women's fashions weren't all that folks were rebelling against. The story takes place in 1860-61 Massachusetts and the main topic is slavery which is about to split the union. Personalizing that is Joe Spearman playing a runaway slave Pompey. As it turns out Pompey is a slave belonging to the family of Keith Andes who is a visiting southern gentleman to the Applegate family.
Paul Ford is in the cast as the senior Applegate playing one of his patented blusterers. He is in the textile manufacturing business and he makes those big hoop skirts and sells a lot of them down south. So he's getting hit all kinds of different ways from his rebellious daughter who hides Pompey.
This should have been made into a film. Sadly today where are the singers and dancers to make it happen? Still we have this bit of Broadway treasure left.
Cook's vocal talents and range are extraordinary, but I never knew Keith Andes could sing. And since this was broadcast live in 1956 on Producer's Showcase we know it's him.
The story is about a rebellion among women to get out of those constraining hoop skirts which were a puritanical invention of the time. The substitution was bloomers named for Dolly Bloomer who played by Carmen Matthews and is the aunt of Barbara Cook playing Evalina Applegate her devoted disciple.
But women's fashions weren't all that folks were rebelling against. The story takes place in 1860-61 Massachusetts and the main topic is slavery which is about to split the union. Personalizing that is Joe Spearman playing a runaway slave Pompey. As it turns out Pompey is a slave belonging to the family of Keith Andes who is a visiting southern gentleman to the Applegate family.
Paul Ford is in the cast as the senior Applegate playing one of his patented blusterers. He is in the textile manufacturing business and he makes those big hoop skirts and sells a lot of them down south. So he's getting hit all kinds of different ways from his rebellious daughter who hides Pompey.
This should have been made into a film. Sadly today where are the singers and dancers to make it happen? Still we have this bit of Broadway treasure left.